(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device having an improved support structure, that is, simple and includes a small thickness.
(b) Description of the Related Art
The rapid development of semiconductor technology has led to the rapid increase in demand for lightweight and compact display devices having improved performance, such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs).
The LCD has advantageous characteristics such as a small size, light weight, and low power consumption. Accordingly, the LCD has replaced the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT). Recently, the LCD has been widely used in information processing apparatuses and middle-sized and large-sized display apparatuses, for example, television sets and monitors, as well as small-sized display apparatuses such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
A mobile phone, for example, is manufactured in a folder type for convenience of a user, and a dual display device in which two display panels are attached to the front and rear surfaces of a folder of the mobile phone is widely used.
However, when the two display panels are used, the overall thickness of the mobile phone increases and thus portability deteriorates. Accordingly, the display device must decrease in both size and weight.
In general, the mobile phone includes a casing forming an appearance of the mobile phone and a display device disposed in the casing. In a conventional mobile phone, a protective window for protecting a display panel of the display device is attached to the casing. Accordingly, the protective window and the display panel are separated from each other by at least 1 mm, which prevents the mobile phone from being reduced in thickness.
In order to reduce the gap between the protective window and the display panel, a support structure for supporting the protective panel and the display panel may be changed, which in turn complicates or weakens the device.